> Useful Egyptian Arabic phrases for travellers — greetings, polite words, numbers and bargaining lines — with simple pronunciation to help you connect in Egypt. *Source : https://egyptinteractive.com/culture/egyptian-arabic-phrases/* --- [Home](https://egyptinteractive.com/) › [Culture & Modern Egypt](https://egyptinteractive.com/culture/) # Egyptian Arabic Phrases: A Traveller's Survival Guide Useful Egyptian Arabic phrases for travellers — greetings, polite words, numbers and bargaining lines — with simple pronunciation to help you connect in Egypt. By EgyptInterActive Editorial 6 January 2026 3 min read ![A street in Cairo](https://egyptinteractive.com/images/covers/arabic-phrases.webp) You can absolutely travel Egypt with English alone, but a handful of Egyptian Arabic phrases transform the trip. Locals light up when visitors try, prices soften, and small interactions become genuinely warm. Here is a practical, pronounceable starter kit. ## Greetings and first contact Egyptians are famously friendly, and greetings carry weight. A warm hello goes a long way. English Egyptian Arabic Pronunciation Hello (peace upon you) السلام عليكم as-salaamu aleikum Hello (casual) أهلاً ahlan Welcome / response أهلاً بيك ahlan beek Good morning صباح الخير sabah el-kheir Good evening مساء الخير masa el-kheir How are you? (to a man) إزيك izzayyak How are you? (to a woman) إزيّك izzayyik Fine, thank God كويس، الحمد لله kwayyes, el-hamdulillah > Tip: “Insha’Allah” (God willing) and “el-hamdulillah” (thanks be to God) pepper everyday speech. Using them naturally signals respect and instantly warms a conversation. ## The polite essentials These small words do most of the heavy lifting. Learn them first. - **Please** — _min fadlak_ (to a man) / _min fadlik_ (to a woman) - **Thank you** — _shukran_ - **You’re welcome** — _afwan_ - **Yes** — _aywa_ / **No** — _la’a_ - **Excuse me / sorry** — _aasif_ (man) / _asfa_ (woman) - **No problem** — _mafeesh mushkila_ - **God willing** — _insha’Allah_ A genuine _shukran gazilan_ (“thank you very much”) after good service is always appreciated. ## Getting around and getting by A few functional phrases smooth out taxis, shops and directions. - **How much?** — _bikam?_ - **Where is…?** — _fein…?_ - **I want…** — _ana ‘ayez…_ (man) / _ana ‘ayza…_ (woman) - **I don’t want** — _mish ‘ayez_ / _mish ‘ayza_ - **Stop here** — _‘ala gambak / hena kwayyes_ (here is fine) - **Water** — _mayya_ - **The bill, please** — _el-hisab, min fadlak_ - **I don’t understand** — _mish fahem_ (man) / _mish fahma_ (woman) - **Do you speak English?** — _bititkallim ingileezi?_ Numbers help too: _wahid_ (1), _itnein_ (2), _talata_ (3), _arba’a_ (4), _khamsa_ (5), _‘ashara_ (10), _meyya_ (100). ## Friendly bargaining Bargaining in souks and bazaars is expected, sociable and rarely aggressive. Smile, stay relaxed, and treat it as a conversation rather than a battle. - **How much is this?** — _bikam da?_ - **That’s expensive** — _da ghali!_ - **Final price?** — _akher kalam?_ (literally “last word?”) - **A little cheaper, please** — _arkhas shwayya, min fadlak_ - **I’ll think about it** — _ha-fakkar_ - **No thank you** — _la’a, shukran_ A useful rhythm: ask the price, react with a warm “_da ghali!_”, offer a lower number, and meet somewhere in the middle. If the gap is too wide, a smiling _la’a shukran_ and a step toward the door often brings a better offer. ## Words that win smiles Beyond the functional, a few expressions make you instantly likeable. - **Beautiful / nice** — _helw_ (also used for “sweet” and “good”) - **Egypt** — _Masr_ (Egyptians call their country and Cairo both _Masr_) - **My friend** — _ya sadiqi_ / informally _ya basha_ (a friendly “boss”) - **Congratulations** — _mabrook_ - **Goodbye** — _ma’a salama_ A final note on tone: Egyptians value warmth over perfect grammar. Mispronounce freely, laugh at your own mistakes, and lead with a smile — that attitude matters more than vocabulary. Want to put these phrases to work on a real route through Cairo, Luxor and Aswan? Start with our [Plan Your Trip](https://egyptinteractive.com/plan-your-trip/) guide to map out where you’ll be greeting, thanking and bargaining your way across Egypt. 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